Houston rapper accused of abducting woman, locking her in garage

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A Houston rapper accused of kidnapping a woman and holding her against her will for years claimed he was in a consensual relationship.

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Police in Houston charged Lee Arthur Carter, 52, with aggravated kidnapping earlier this month.

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Carter is listed as the owner of Houston-based Rhyme Time Records and performs under the name Viper, according to court documents obtained by NBC affiliate KPRC.

On April 7, 2023, police officers responded to a report of a kidnapping at a residence, court filings said.

Cops heard a woman’s voice through a window of a home and spoke to her. The woman told officers she was pregnant about four or five years ago and panhandling in south Houston when Carter pulled over and gave her a dollar.

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The woman said she was asked by Carter if she needed help and she said yes, according to court documents. She said Carter allegedly told her he would help her and to get into his car.

The woman said she entered the vehicle and he drove to his home, where she said she was allegedly held against her will.

The woman told cops that Carter allegedly raped her and she was forced to take drugs. She said she was allegedly prevented from leaving the home by being locked inside the garage by Carter.

Police said the woman was “extremely malnourished” and weighed “approximately 70 pounds with a pungent stench,” court documents said.

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However, Carter’s attorney denied the allegations and said his client was in a “mutually consensual relationship” for years.

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“In fact, the complainant and my client have a three-year-old son together, from whom I’ve already been provided the birth certificate,” George Powell, Carter’s lawyer, told ABC affiliate KTRK.

While police said they have been trying to get back in touch with the woman, Carter’s lawyer said she was never missing or in danger.

“They were actually in a relationship and he did not kidnap anyone,” Powell said. “The complaining witness has had some mental history issues, for which my client has always supported her.”

At his first court appearance, the judge heard Carter worked as a real estate broker and has seven children, who range in age from one to 31.

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